Area affected by wildfires in Siberia grows over 24 hours

Specialists' forecast for the next 24 hours is that there is likelihood of fires spreading to endanger populated areas, energy facilities, and pylons of power transmission lines

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KRASNOYARSK, May 31 (Itar-Tass) — The area affected by wildfires in Siberia has grown from 583 to 948 hectares over the past 24 hours. Fourteen wildfires out of the total have been localized on an area of 706.9 hectares, an official at the Russian Ministry for Emergencies (RME) Siberian regional center told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

"Over the past 24 hours, fires shifted to southern and western regions of the Siberian Federal District. In Buryatia, forest was on fire on 15.2 hectares on Thursday morning, whereas firemen in Zabaikalye (trans-Baikal area) managed to put out fires completely. In Tuva, wildfires are blazing on an area of up to 552 hectares. One large-scale fire in Tuva has doubled in scope over the past 24 hours," the press service official pointed out.

According to space monitoring data, nine thermally active points are observed as emerging wildfires (one in the Republic of Buryatia, and four in Tomsk Region), as well as uncontrolled vegetation fires (two in Krasnoyarsk Territory, and two in Altai Territory). Firefighting efforts are involving 383 people and 35 fire trucks.

Specialists' forecast for the next 24 hours is that there is likelihood of fires spreading to endanger populated areas, energy facilities, and pylons of power transmission lines in Kemerovo, Omsk, Novosibirsk, and Irkutsk Regions, Altai, Zabaikalye, and Krasnoyarsk Territories and in Tuva Republic).